[nagdu] understanding vs. respect

[Tracy Carcione]

I agree with both of you.  Julie, your experience with diversity training
is similar to mine.  I'm happy to learn about other cultures, but the
whole thing seemed pretty phony.  And I'll take respect over understanding
every time.Just respect me as an adult fellow human, and we're good. 
Understanding may follow, but, even if it doesn't, it doesn't matter,
since, if you respect me, you'll either figure I have the brains to work
things out myself, or you'll ask if I need a hand.
And Buddy, I too don't see it as my mission in life to educate everyone I
meet about blindness.  I reckon just getting on with my life ought to be
enough. If they harass me, I'll explain the law or whatever, but mainly
   I have places to go and things to do.
Tracy
> Julie,
>
> Right on, right on, right on! I'm sure some of my fellow blind folk will
> take issue with this, but I'm so over educating the public. Look what good
> it's done for us, your conference coordinator being a shining example.
> Darn it all, we don't need education. While ignorance is curable, there's
> plenty of education to be had, should people care to have it, and it
> doesn't have to come from me. It's time that we quit with this belief that
> our lot in life is to be the ambassador for every stink in blind person
> out there and by god just live our lives and do our things. But it's also
> time that we demand the respect due us as human beings.
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Jul 7, 2012, at 8:08 AM, "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> I wrote a bit about this a couple of weeks ago, but I've been thinking
>> more on the topic ...I know scary!  LOL  Anyway I attended this
>> diversity training seminar last spring.  It was a part of a larger
>> training event on drug/alcohol prevention and not something I would have
>> attended separately.  anyway the presenter talked about education and
>> understanding different cultures and whatnot.  There was a lot of
>> emphasis on what she called cultural competency, which I took to mean
>> being educated about various cultures.
>>
>> the whole time I'm sitting there listening to this presentation I'm
>> thinking about the conversation we had about my hotel reservations.
>> This particular presenter was the coordinator for the conference.  She
>> made the hotel reservations for many of the attendees because the
>> sponsoring agency was covering the hotel.  It's much easier to do the
>> paperwork that way.  Anyway she knows I'm blind and that I have Monty.
>> she also knows I can walk up and down stairs and whatnot.  Still she
>> informed the hotel that I needed a first floor room and that I'd be
>> accompanied by a guide dog.  she also assured the hotel that I'd be no
>> problem that I was quite independent.  I have no words to express my
>> feelings about this statement.  Unimpressed is about the nicest thing I
>> can say.
>>
>> So back to diversity training...she's talking about understanding and
>> education and how important it is to know all about other people of
>> various cultures, races, disabilities etc.  Immediately after this
>> lecture we have a break where no less than three people come up to me to
>> ask inappropriate questions or to pet Monty without asking.  Honestly
>> I'm not opposed to answering questions, but when I'm engaged in a
>> different conversation and you interrupt to ask how much I can see, well
>> it's just rude.  It was at that moment that I realized that I don't give
>> a crap about education or understanding or cultural competency or
>> whatever you want to call it.  Sure if people understood, I mean really
>> got it, about blindness that would be grand.  I don't need that though.
>> What I really, really want is respect.
>>
>> What do you all think?
>> Julie
>>
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>
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